


Caged Birds Can't Sing

by Lady_Phenyx



Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Anxiety, Captivity, Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Multi, Rescue Missions, ask to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Phenyx/pseuds/Lady_Phenyx
Summary: Snufkin is late coming back to Moomin Valley. It's not the first time, won't be the last.Except Snorkmaiden has a bad feeling about it this time. And nothing is going to stop her and Moomin from making sure their boyfriend is okay.(Spoiler alert: He's not.)Whumptober Day 4: RUNNING OUT OF TIMECaged | Buried Alive | Collapsed Building
Relationships: Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snorkfröken | The Snork Maiden/Snusmumriken | Snufkin
Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952818
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	Caged Birds Can't Sing

There were a lot of things that could happen out in the wide, wide world, especially to a lone traveler. Snufkin knew that very well. He'd been traveling alone most of his life, and he'd heard all the stories. He even had more than a few of his own.

But, well, it wasn't all that often anymore that bad things happened. Not with Snufkin as experienced as he was. Not this close to Moomin Valley. And despite his wandering, Snufkin tended to stay close to the valley nearly every year since he'd first found welcome there.

Close enough that he could leave and come back in one season, leaving midway through fall and aiming to arrive back as soon as it was warm enough to camp outside again in Moomin Valley.

And with still recent developments between himself and Moomin and Snorkmaiden, developments that had him sighing to himself like a lovestruck romantic rather than the practical vagabond he presented to the world, well, he was a bit eager to get back these last few years.

It wasn't usually a problem. Given he'd just spent three quarters of the year around people, Snufkin tended to avoid them during the winter, save passing through towns or cities.

He didn't really have a choice about passing through civilization – there were things even he couldn't make, and he couldn't carry enough for a full three months at one time.

It still didn't explain how he'd gotten into this situation.

It was an isolated little valley, about three days travel southwest from Moomin Valley. Out of the way and hidden.

So of course Snufkin had to investigate.

It was a pleasant two days, and the people in the castle hidden here were receptive to his music, almost starved for something new.

The problem came when Snufkin went to leave.

And they didn't want him to.

And they weren't taking 'no' for an answer.

What had happened next was a bit of a blur, and Snufkin was pretty sure there was magic at work here. It would explain how he'd never seen this place before, how it all happened so fast.

But what mattered now was that Snufkin was trapped, caged in a round birdcage large enough to hold a Snufkin, dangling from a chain from the ceiling, high above the floor, far too high to get down without help. His pack was down on the floor, in a chest by the wall, and he couldn't break or pick the lock to his cage to try and escape when they lowered it. He'd tried, but each time he did, the guard down below would raise a fuss and he'd found himself locked in and raised up yet again.

He had a feeling they weren't sure how to punish him for trying to escape – they wanted him staying here, and they kept trying to talk him around into it, offering luxuries, and punishment would make him run faster.

That, and he had a feeling they were worried about damaging him. It was dehumanizing, but right now? He'd take it if it meant they didn't touch him.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been trapped in this tiny cage, but spring had to be coming on in Moomin Valley by now. They had to realize something was wrong when he was this late.

But...would any of them come looking for him?

No, they...they'd want to, but he couldn't count on it. He had to find a way out of here, on his own.

Despair made him want to raise his harmonica, let his feelings loose, but they wanted his music. It was why he was trapped in here, a little songbird in a cage.

And like hell he was giving them his music.

Snufkin curled up tightly, his knees to his chest, arms and recently visible tail – thank you Moomin Valley – wrapping around his legs before burying his head against his knees.

He needed to think. There had to be a way out of this.

There had to be.

\---XXX---

Snufkin was late.

It wasn't the first time he'd been late, but something felt...wrong, this time.

Snorkmaiden couldn't put her finger on just why. Maybe a little of that psychic ability she'd gotten for a few wild days after she'd gotten hit by lightning had lingered, telling her that her boyfriend needed her.

Needed both of them.

But try convincing anyone else of that.

Snufkin's taking his time, they said. He'll be back when he's ready. You have to be patient. Just wait.

Well, they could wait. But Snorkmaiden knew something was wrong and she was going to go find their boyfriend.

If he was fine and just taking his time coming back, then that was fine. She'd respect that and come back on her own and let him come...come _home_ when he was ready.

But that was the thing, wasn't it? Snufkin had admitted that he thought of Moomin Valley as home now that they were all in it, and that he was coming back. He _promised_ he'd be back in the spring.

And she couldn't shake the feeling that he needed them.

Moomin would come along if she asked, Snorkmaiden knew. So would Little My, probably, if only because Snufkin was her brother and she could cause some minor chaos if he was in trouble.

Or she might just ask Moomin so she wouldn't feel quite so silly when they found Snufkin safe and sound, just a bit late.

\---XXX---

The cage was getting smaller. Snufkin could feel the bars pressing in around him, more acutely with each passing hour.

They lowered the cage twice a day, to feed him and to let him use the bathroom, to demand he play for them, only to force him back in and raise it again when he continued to refuse.

Stubbornness was warring with a desperate need to be free, even if Snufkin was sure that pretending to give in would at best get him nothing more than a longer leash.

But they wouldn't listen. The just refused to do something as simple as  _listen._ Snufkin had places to be, people who were waiting for him, and it had taken him so long to accept having those ties on him, let alone enjoy them, he was decidedly not appreciating having someone else try and replace them.

And he couldn't play this way, anyway. Not with the bars stealing his breath, closing in around him.

He had to get out of here.

Please, someone help him out of here.

\---XXX---

Snorkmaiden and Moomin had left in the early, early morning, early enough they weren't sure it could even be called morning yet.

No one had really been sure they should go looking for Snufkin, but, well, the pair weren't going to be stopped so it was better to send them off with encouragements and supplies than to try and keep them home.

The two were quite aware it could very well be a fool's errand, trying to find Snufkin out in the wide world beyond Moomin Valley, but they had to try. When Snorkmaiden was so sure that he needed them (and Moomin wasn't so sure, was afraid that Snufkin wasn't coming back but how could he say no when Snorkmaiden was certain, when Snufkin had promised he'd be back) they had to go out and look, at least a few days travel around Moomin Valley.

Snufkin had certain paths he tended to use to come and go from the valley. He'd shown them before, so those where what they were checking first, going out one and back another, stopping by Moomin Valley when they came to the end of the trail again.

They were running out of trails and growing quieter with each day and mile that passed without finding Snufkin.

Snorkmaiden didn't know what made her turn onto the small, almost hidden trail, but she followed the urge. Moomin followed, letting her take the lead. He didn't have any ideas, so if she had one than he'd follow willingly.

They pushed through the underbrush and froze at the sight of the castle.

“...well that's new,” Moomin finally said. “Go to the door or look around first?”

Snorkmaiden was still staring at the castle, paws on her rucksack straps and face set. “Moomin, that bad feeling is getting worse. I think we should look around first, and try not to be seen.”

Moomin nodded with a little hum and they inched their way towards the castle.

The gate was open, and after a moment of peering around and seeing no one they slipped inside, keeping an eye out for anyone else around.

There were voices from inside what they supposed to be the great hall, and they followed the sound, the words coming clearer as they got closer until they were hiding just outside the doors.

“...stubborn! I should have expected it from a mumrik, but I would have thought two weeks in that cage would have changed your mind!”

They peeked around the door and had to hold back gasps, grasping onto each other's paws in shock.

There were two people standing in the center of the great hall, one in fancy clothing that made the two of them think of a prince while the other was almost but not quite as richly dressed.

There were other people dotted around the hall, though not as many as they'd feared. It took a lot of people to keep a castle running, but it seemed like they had the bare minimum here.

The speaker was glaring at a cage hung high above their heads, and from where the two of them stood Snorkmaiden and Moomin could make out colors and shapes within the bars. Add that to 'mumrik' and they were sure.

They'd found Snufkin, and it was worse than they'd thought.

“Mumriks supposedly don't take well to being in cages, sir,” the second person was saying. His words were placating, almost as if he were trying to speak up in Snufkin's defense, but the hungry look he was giving Snufkin had the two of them gripping paws tighter, lest one of them gave in to their temper and went storming in there.

“That was the idea,” the first snarled back. “We offered you everything, and you still tried to leave! If you hadn't, then we'd have you in the best rooms here,” he called up to Snufkin, trying for cajoling now. “The best foods, the best clothing. Anything you could ask for.”

“What I want is to go home,” Snufkin replied, his voice flatter and yet shakier than the two had ever heard before.

From where they stood, the two could see the flush of rage that coated the possibly prince's face. “If rewards won't work, then perhaps punishment will!” he snapped, jerking about to face the courtier. “If he won't play, he doesn't eat. No food tonight, and don't lower the cage until he's more willing to hear reason.”

He spun, cape flaring, and stormed off, while above Snufkin curled tighter if that were possible.

Snorkmaiden was flushed to a dark, crimson red, her paws trembling with rage in Moomin's, though it was hard to tell how badly they were shaking with how hard his own were shaking with his own anger.

Inside the hall, the people were murmuring to each other, voices ranging from vague displeasure to agreement as they slowly began to trail out of the hall.

The two in the hall dashed back down it, ducking into a room to hide as the people passed by.

They crept back once the noises in the hall were gone, silent once more, to the door of the great hall.

There was a guard along the side wall, likely to make sure Snufkin didn't find a way out or to alert someone if he should change his mind.

“What do we do?” Snorkmaiden whispered. “We have to get Snufkin out of there!”

Moomin glared at the guard. “I'm so mad!” he hissed. “Oh...” he breathed heavily for a moment, bringing himself under control. “Right. We have to distract the guard, figure out how to get Snufkin down, and sneak out of here.”

“There has to be something we can do to make them sorry they trapped Snufkin in that thing for two whole weeks,” Snorkmaiden said, her tail lashing. “I can barely think of it, it's so cruel!”

“I know, but we have to get Snufkin out of here first,” Moomin said, taking on his role as the voice of reason for the moment. They passed it among the trio, and it seemed it was his turn. “We can tell Joxter and Little My when we get back, they're better at that sort of thing then we are.”

Snorkmaiden nodded sharply, somewhat mollified. It was true, those two were better at causing chaos than they were, and... “They'll want to get even for Snufkin too, you're right.”

“We should wait until it's dark, so most people will be asleep and we won't run into anyone on the way out,” Moomin suggested.

“...ooooh, I hate that you're right,” Snorkmaiden said. “I wish we could let him know we're here, so he'd know he won't be trapped much longer. I want him out of that cage!”

“Hurry, let's go find somewhere to hide,” Moomin said, tugging at her paw. “We can plan more there.”

Snorkmaiden glanced back at the tiny cage and the figure inside as she and Moomin reluctantly left. “Hold on, Snufkin, it won't be much longer,” she whispered.

\---XXX---

Snufkin's stomach grumbled at him unhappily.

It wasn't the first time he'd gone without dinner, and it likely wouldn't be the last, if he continued to travel the way he did. But it wasn't often that he'd gone without because of someone actively denying him food.

The fact that most of the rest of the residents of the castle had eaten in the great hall under his cage, with the smell of food wafting up to him, wasn't helping.

It didn't hold a candle to Moominmamma's cooking, but sometimes, food was food.

It wasn't enough to make him give in, not yet, but the thought of getting out of the cage...who was he kidding? They wouldn't let him out of here now, no matter what they promised. Not when he could still run away if they took their eyes off him for a minute. The best he could hope for from them was a larger cage. Maybe a room at the top of the tower, with a big lock on it, if they were feeling gracious about it.

They'd all gone to bed hours ago, but Snufkin couldn't sleep. He wanted to pull out his harmonica, hum something to himself, any form of comfort, but he didn't dare. Not when there was a guard down below to report on him if he made any sort of music, when it would be giving them what they wanted. Not when it was so hard to make music with the bars closing in around him.

But he wanted to go home, he wanted to go home  _so much_ . 

How much longer was he going to be able to hold out without giving in? Without begging them to let him out, promising whatever they wanted so long as he was out of the cage?

Snufkin laid his head on his knees and wished for sleep before he could give in and cry.

Down below, there was a scuffling sound, and a muffled yelp.

Confused, Snufkin lifted his head, ears pricking forward. It might be nothing – the guard had tripped before and it had sounded something like that – but something seemed off.

Cautiously he inched to the side of the cage. Moving too fast had a tendency to set the cage to wobbling frighteningly, and he wasn't ready to deal with that on top of everything else.

Not tonight, on top of everything else.

Looking down from the edge of the cage made him dizzy. He didn't usually have a problem with heights, but to look down like this, from behind the fanciful scrollwork bars, knowing there was only those fragile-looking (but unfortunately sturdy) bars and a thick chain between himself and that fall...he felt he was rather justified in disliking these heights.

The guard was storming towards the door, muttering to himself, too lowly for Snufkin to hear much beyond a low rumble of sound.

Snufkin watched closely. It was the first thing of interest that had happened since the prince's declaration that morning, and he'd take any distraction from the cage and his hunger.

The guard leaned against the door, peering out into the hallway. He jerked back after a moment with a cry of surprise, quickly muffled as a set of white paws and a set of red paws wrapped around him, yanking him out into the hallway.

Snufkin watched, clutching at the overly fancy bars (they should have been straight and practical, but no, some nonsense about a 'cage as lovely as the one it contained' and if he hadn't been so scared and furious at the time that would have gotten more sarcasm than it had) and watching wide-eyed, barely daring to breathe as he waited to see what was happening.

Nothing had happened since he'd been captured. It was a major reason they'd trapped him here – nothing ever happened here, but rather than enjoying it the way Moomin Valley did, or creating their own entertainment (as, again, Moomin Valley did) they had latched onto him and refused to let him leave.

He was going to go invisible again if he didn't get out of here soon, Snufkin was sure of it.

The guard had disappeared, and the room was silent again.

It was more than a little suspicious. The guard hadn't gone to the bathroom, they hadn't dared leave him alone in the weeks he'd been here just in case they missed a moment of weakness. Another layer of mental torture, though they hadn't realized yet just what they were doing to him, to never let him have a moment alone to recharge and just be without eyes on him. Though at least one of them seemed to have a clue, with what he'd said earlier.

Snufkin was beginning to be afraid that he'd never know peace again, or that he'd have to spend a month away from everyone before he could stand to be around them again if he did manage to get out.

The door creaked as it was pushed open farther, and Snufkin's eyes shot back to the door, only to widen in disbelief at the two who slipped through the gap.

“Moomin? Snorkmaiden?” he said, voice cracking from lack of use, almost pleading for it to be true and not a dream.

What were they doing here? And Snorkmaiden...it was hard to see in the darkness of the great hall, lit only by what moonlight made it through the tall windows, but Snufkin would swear he'd never seen her so dark a red before.

“Snufkin!” the two chorused, rushing forward, and if this was a dream than Snufkin was going to be upset enough to start going invisible as soon as he woke up.

“We got worried when you weren't home yet, and we weren't going to look for you but Snorkmaiden had a really bad feeling that you were in trouble,” Moomin called up to him, softly. “We're really sorry about trying to find you when you wanted to be alone but we had to!”

“I'm really glad you did,” Snufkin called back down, heart soaring. “Please get me down!”

“Moomin, help me, the crank is locked!” Snorkmaiden hissed. “Here, hang onto the chain so it doesn't drop while I break the lock.”

Snufkin shifted in the cage so he could hold onto the bars with both paws. It wouldn't help if the cage did fall, but nothing really would, and it made him feel a tiny bit better. Down below, Moomin shucked off the pack he'd been carrying, tossing it next to the one Snorkmaiden had already rid herself of.

He always forgot how strong Snorkmaiden was, with how hard she usually tried to project being a delicate lady. She was as strong as Moomin, a fact they were both sharply reminded of as she pulled on the lock hard enough to make the crank holding the cage up start to creak.

They both froze, waiting with baited breath for any other noises. When the castle remained silent, Moomin adjusted his grip on the chain, pulling until he held Snufkin and the cage's full weight.

“Break it, I've got Snufkin,” he whispered. “That way they can't use it again.”

Snorkmaiden looked between lock and cage nervously for a few glances before her lightening red darkened again and she took the lock in both paws.

One sharp yank had the crank snapping in two, releasing the chain, which Snorkmaiden fumbled for, scrambling to gather it all up into her paws before it could hit the ground and clatter.

She lowered it to the ground, rushing to grab the chain behind where Moomin grasped it. Together they began lowering the cage towards the ground, trying to keep the journey smooth but unable to keep it from jerking, more concerned with not dropping Snufkin.

Snufkin just gripped the bars and kept quiet as the cage settled onto the ground, lowered as if he were something precious and fragile.

Snorkmaiden rushed over, grasping Snufkin's paws through the bars, and the grip of her paws was what finally convinced him for certain that this was no dream.

Moomin started on the lock, and Snufkin reluctantly let go of Snorkmaiden's paws to dig in the hem of his smock, pulling out a set of lockpicks.

The fancy scrollwork on the cage was thickest on the door and around the lock, keeping Snufkin from picking the lock himself, but the other two had been around Snufkin long enough to know what the small bits of metal were for.

That didn't stop Moomin from fumbling with them, unpracticed with their use. There weren't many locks in Moomin Valley for him to practice on, even if he'd been so inclined.

And the metal was too strong for him to simply pull apart.

“Snorkmaiden?” Snufkin said quietly as Moomin fought with the lock. “My pack...it's in that chest over there...could you?”

Snorkmaiden nodded rapidly, hurrying over to the unlocked chest. Snufkin's pack sat inside, still closed and his tent rolled and fastened to the top.

He could have escaped without it without a second thought, but it gave Snorkmaiden something to do as Moomin fought the lock.

Snorkmaiden slung it onto her own back before hurrying back over to her boys. She glanced out the window, checking the time.

The sky was still dark, but they had to get moving. There was a faint lightness on the horizon, the grey pearl of pre-dawn. If the stories she'd read were anything to go by, than people in castles who were in charge of all the daily chores had to get up really, really early to get them started.

Moomin was still fighting with the lock as Snorkmaiden paled, hurrying to his side. “Dawn's coming! Everyone's going to wake up soon!”

“The guard change happens at midnight and around breakfast,” Snufkin said quickly, gripping at the bars above the lock. “They wait until the sun's all the way up to eat breakfast in here. But I can't guarantee no one won't look in, they won't stop _looking_ at me.”

Both of the others winced at that. Snufkin hated it when people watched him without his consent, and he wasn't being given the option of saying 'no' here.

Snorkmaiden jolted a little, suddenly remembering at the mention of breakfast, and dug into the pack that Moomin had dropped earlier. “Here!” she said, hurrying to push some of Moominmamma's provisions through the wider bars of the cage. “We heard him last night. I can't believe I forgot until now, I'm so sorry!”

Snufkin had to force himself not to bolt the food as Snorkmaiden spoke, fuming and flashing back to the red that had finally begun to fade as she focused on Snufkin. “Oh, I'd like to lock him up for a week and make him skip meals! He could learn to play his own music if he wants it so badly, or find someone who wants to stay!”

Snufkin nodded. “I told him I knew some vagabonds that were looking for a place to settle down that wouldn't mind living here, but he wouldn't listen.”

The lock finally, finally gave, and Moomin swung the door open, bowing with a flourish. “Your freedom, my Spring-song.”

Snufkin laughed, a relieved, breathless thing. About to slide out in a tumble, he paused and accepted the paw Snorkmaiden held out to him, sliding into her arms instead.

She hugged him tight, and he clutched back, rubbing his cheek against her fur and burying his face in her shoulder to breathe in deeply.

Moomin joined the hug a split second later, enveloping Snufkin in the softest, thickest fur imaginable, buried between his two favorite people.

They split apart a moment later, and Snufkin swung Snorkmaiden's pack onto his back before they grabbed paws, all three of them together, and made a break for the door.

They abandoned stealth for speed, running faster as they passed a maid, who shrieked, the laundry in her arms flying as she stumbled back from the blur that was the three of them.

Her shrieks drew attention, and in minutes the castle was abuzz with activity, a kicked hornet's nest as people were roused and confused.

The trio were already on the road, racing away from the castle, as the prince's voice rose, roaring in fury, and they knew the empty cage had been discovered.

They forced their legs to go that much faster, gasping for breath as the sounds from behind them, of people being roused from sleep, cries of rage, of someone trying to organize a pursuit, rose into the slowly lightening air.

They dared to pause at the top of the hill and glance back.

Snufkin winced, unconsciously tugging on both paws he held at the sight of the pursuit forming down below to hunt him down.

“Let's run, I saw somewhere we can hide,” Moomin said, tugging on Snufkin's paw. “Once they pass we can start heading home and get help.”

“Why can't they just leave our Spring alone,” Snorkmaiden fumed. Snufkin gripped her paw tighter, and she focused back on him. “Let's hurry. Don't worry, we won't let them take you again.”

\---XXX---

The three of them found Moomin's hiding spot, deep in a thicket, deep enough and under enough bushes that even his white fur wouldn't give them away.

By the time they got under all the plants and had taken shelter under the roots of a tree, his fur was stained with green and brown, so his fur wasn't as much of a giveaway, and despite her obvious upset with it, the same happened to Snorkmaiden.

The search party passed by the thicket, their eyes skimming the area but not going in, though all three of them held their breath until the group had passed by.

There were far more of them than any of them had expected, but if what Snufkin had said was accurate, than they'd nothing better to do – and a petty, nastyminded greed to hold on to what they'd captured.

The trio stayed hidden long after the search party had passed by. Moomin and Snorkmaiden kept pressing little treats on Snufkin as they waited for the search party to put some distance between them and the trio, the most they'd be allowed to fuss over him.

Though Snufkin was staying close, pressed up against their sides and sandwiched between them, terrified to move and, for once, feeling secure in seeking comfort.

When the terror subsided, boredom set in. They took turns napping, unwilling to have all three of them asleep at once but with little else to do, given they were hiding.

Once the sun had gone down Snufkin tugged them into motion. “Most of the people in the castle had work to do, and they're not used to staying up all night,” he whispered. “Well, the prince might, but he's too spoiled to want to search all night. If we hurry, we can get to Moomin Valley by late tomorrow.”

“I can hardly believe there's a place like this so close to the valley and we never knew,” Moomin whispered, he and Snufkin helping Snorkmaiden to her feet.

“You really think we can get there that soon?” was Snorkmaiden's question.

“We can try.”

\---XXX---

Snufkin had never traveled this path so quickly.

He wasn't sure what would happen once they got to Moomin Valley, but with the specter of the cage looming behind him, he didn't much care.

Moominmamma was waiting for them, coming out on the veranda to meet them when she saw them from the window, and Snufkin found himself racing up the last road to Moomin House to fling himself into her arms.

“Mamma! You won't believe where we found Snufkin!” Moomin called as he and Snorkmaiden jogged up the path.

“Oh? It looks like it must quite the story,” she said, stroking Snufkin's hair as he clung to her. “Come in, we'll have tea and you can tell us everything. Snufkin, your father and Little My are here too, he just got here this morning.”

Snorkmaiden and Moomin didn't miss the burst of happiness on Snufkin's face, or the rapid flicker of mischief that followed.

They almost felt bad for that little castle, with the prospect of unleashing a furious Joxter and Little My hanging over them.

_Almost._


End file.
